Good Company
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GOOD COMPANY TIM MILES Permission to reproduce or transmit in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, must be obtained by contacting the publisher at OurIAG.com. Failure to do so can result in you being turned into a newt. To order additional copies, visit OurIAG.com or call 855-503-0677. Cover design by Laura Harris, Jessica Kohler, and Tim Miles Author Photograph Handled by Rhiannon Trask Author Neuroses Handled by Deidre Miles and Lynn Peisker Copyright © 2012 TIM MILES & IAG PRESS All rights reserved. ISBN-13: 978-0615665115 (IAG Press) ISBN-10: 061566511X LCCN: 2012943679 For Bubs and Choo Choo and Their Most Amazing Mama The goal of life is to take everything that made you weird as a kid and get people to pay you money for it as an adult. ~ David Freeman CONTENTS Acknowledgments!.............................................................xi Foreword!...........................................................................xiii Preface!.................................................................................xv MAKING GOOD COMPANY 1. The First Lesson!...............................................................1 2. A Sign Of Things To Come!.............................................3 3. Listen Closely Now. This Is Important.!.......................5 4. Opportunity? It Costs.!....................................................7 5. Turning Pro.....................................................................! 10 6. Strategic Planning – It’s Elementary!..........................12 7. How To Work On Stuff That Matters!.........................14 8. How To Have A Better Weekend!................................17 9. Unhappy At Work?!.......................................................18 10. Want To!.........................................................................21 11. Tithe!...............................................................................23 12. Pull Back The Covers!..................................................24 13. “I Want To Do What You Do.”!...................................26 14. Blind Spots And Uncomfortable Positions!..............29 15. The Green Vegetables Of Work!.................................31 16. What If You Were Worth $300 An Hour?!.................35 17. Are You Productive Or Just Busy? ............................! 37 18. What Are People Paying You To Do?!.......................39 19. Refusing Business........................................................! 41 20. The Seven Facets Of Professionalism........................! 44 21. The Perfect Client Meeting!.........................................47 22. How To Improve Your Next Brainstorming!............48 23. Big X. Little X.!..............................................................50 24. Recording Conversations!...........................................51 25. Critical Thinking!..........................................................53 26. Notebook Moments!....................................................55 27. Zen & The Art Of Notebook Moments!....................57 28. 21 Killer Recruitment Questions!...............................59 29. Are Y’All On The Same Page?!...................................62 30. Following Up!...............................................................63 31. “Never Too High … Never Too Low.”!.....................64 32. Eat The Haggis!.............................................................66 KEEPING GOOD COMPANY 33. Why Call It Shareworthy?!.........................................71 34. Smile! You Just Opened A Small Business!...............73 35. Simplifying Shareworthy!...........................................76 36. Laura Harbaugh’s Magic Number............................! 78 37. The Fourteen Facets Of Shareworthy Service!.........81 38. Beth’s Best Customers!................................................83 39. The Seven Facets Of Kindness!..................................85 40. How To Implement Shareworthy Service!................89 41. It’s Been One Week!......................................................97 42. A Call From The Shareworthy Hall Of Fame!........106 43. The Secrets Of The Gift Artists!................................108 44. “Saw This. Thought Of You.”!..................................113 45. Dee P. Names The Lobsters!......................................114 46. Best Buy Made My Mom Cry!..................................116 47. The Urinal Gnat!.........................................................118 48. The Love Of A Lifetime Customer!..........................120 49. A Local Business Wake-Up Call!..............................122 50. Consistency & Dependability!..................................124 51. The Pit of Mediocrity!................................................127 52. Interning At Disney – Twenty Years Later!.............129 53. Francis, Jake, & Carrabba’s!......................................131 54. Privilege At Cap City Fine Diner!............................135 55. Just One Quick Apple Story – Twice!......................137 56. First, Do No Harm!.....................................................139 57. Implementing Shareworthy Service!.......................141 58. A Listening Exercise!..................................................145 59. Smoking Kills Curb Appeal!.....................................147 60. The Sticky Business Of BBQ!....................................149 61. Three Before Me!.........................................................150 62. Buck’s Ice Cream & Meat Lab..................................! 152 63. Where The Owners Drove Off The Road!...............154 64. A Tale Of Two Salespersons!.....................................157 65. My Family’s Three M’s!.............................................159 66. Shakespeare’s Pizza’s Secret Ingredient!................161 67. The Time I Fed The Troll!...........................................163 68. How Not To Email A Business Owner!...................165 69. A Better Way To Email A Business Owner!.............167 70. Advertising & The Pit!...............................................169 71. Write A Letter!.............................................................172 72. No, Seriously. Write A Letter!...................................174 73. Read Better Writers!...................................................175 74. No Greater Gift: Understanding Time & Money!..178 75. Sweeter Words & Sharper Verbs!.............................180 76. Two Proofreading Tips!.............................................182 77. Now, That Said … !....................................................184 78. Show. Don’t Tell.!........................................................185 79. Dramatizing The Problem!........................................187 80. Powerwashing Stinks Like …!..................................189 81. Being Thankful For Groundhog Day......................! 190 82. The Short-Sighted Media Sales Business!...............192 83. Ad Writing Adrenaline!.............................................194 84. The Time Sheryl Crow Was Tone Deaf!...................198 85. Politician For Jobs/Against Crime..........................! 201 86. My Personal Favorite!................................................204 87. Holiday Ads!...............................................................206 88. I’ve Been Thinking About Your Website!................207 89. Your Sphere Of Credibility!.......................................209 90. “Who Do You Write Your Blog For?”!.....................211 91. Practically Social!........................................................213 92. What’s The Best Way To Trigger Social Media......! 218 93. My Friends Like These..............................................! 219 94. My Social Media Advice To Heidi!..........................223 95. Six Social Media Tips For Small Business!..............225 BEING GOOD COMPANY 96. Are You Contributing To More Than …..................! 235 97. Anatomy Of A Small Relief Effort, Part 1!..............237 98. Anatomy Of A Small Relief Effort, Part 2!..............241 99. Anatomy Of A Small Relief Effort, Part 3!..............244 100. Anatomy Of A Small Relief Effort, Part 4!............246 101. House Money, Four Little Words …!......................247 102. Good Tuesdays!........................................................250 103. How I Quit Smoking!...............................................253 104. Opening Day!............................................................257 105. Write For A Local Charity!......................................259 106. Black Holes Are Doorknobs, By Will Miles!.........261 107. Good Game!...............................................................262 108. Defaulting On Life!...................................................266 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I’m wildly and profoundly flawed. Thanks, first, to God for helping me in every way. Thanks to Roy and Pennie Williams for never giving up. Thanks to our clients for patience, courage and faith - most notably my neighbors in all this, the Chapman family. Thanks to my partners in Wizard of Ads - most notably my neighbor in all this, Paul Boomer. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the book - including Boomer, Lynn, Ryan, Jeff, Bryan, Peter, and, of course, Roy. Thanks to my parents, Rich and Janet Miles, and my whole family, for allowing me to grow up healthy, happy and curious while surrounded by books and tractors. Special thanks to my two big sisters, Lynn Peisker and Michele Miller,